The levy allows the fire district to open a Manchester fire station at Yukon Harbor and bolster crews at its Tremont station. Officials say the Manchester station is needed because response times in the area are nearly 14 minutes. They'd like to bring the times down closer to their suburban average of 6 minutes and 57 seconds.

The emergency medical services levy hike will raise property taxes from 32 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to 50 cents per thousand. To the owner of a $300,000 home, that amounts to about a $42 per year increase.

The new funds will be combined with $1 million from a Federal Emergency Management Administration grant. The fire district needed voter approval of the levy to secure the grant.

South Kitsap also has a fire levy, passed at $1.17 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue serves about 80,000 people on 153 square miles.

Central Kitsap EMS Levy Looks Headed for Approval

Voters are also approving a tax hike for Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue, the auditor's office said.

About 75 percent of those who have cast ballots are supporting the measure.

The result means the CK fire district will be able to collect about $750,000 more in taxes, pushing its emergency medical services levy up from 39 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value to 50 cents per thousand.

"We're really pleased with the results," CK Chief Ken Burdette said. "We're very thankful for the support of the public."

Owners of a home assessed at $232,000 would pay about $25 more per year in property taxes, officials said.

CKFR officials have said that the renewed EMS levy would continue an overhaul begun in 2006 with a lid lift to the district's other tax, its fire levy, which is currently about $1.30 per thousand assessed value.

The EMS levy funds almost 17 percent of CK Fire and Rescue's budget, or about $2.8 million before the vote.

Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue serves about 72,000 people over 115 square miles.

Allyn-Area Voters Saying Yes to Levy Increase

Voters in Allyn-based Mason County Fire District 5, which includes much of eastern Mason County, are also approving an emergency medical services levy that will allow the district to maintain its current level of service.

According to the Mason County Auditor's Office, 2,997 voters, or about 72 percent, are saying yes to the measure. It will raise the district's EMS levy from 16 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value to 25 cents per thousand.

"We're ecstatic voters approved the levy," Mason County District 5 Commissioner Charles Huff said. "I think it's a good indicator of the level of service we provide."

District 5 includes Mason Lake, Victor and Hartstene Island, covering about 150 miles. It serves about 13,500 residents from both volunteer stations and two staffed stations at Allyn and Lake Limerick.

The levy's passage means about $18 more per year more for the owner of a $200,000 home.

Tahuya Voters Close to Striking Down Levy Requests

Two levy increases for the all-volunteer Mason County Fire District 8 look headed for defeat, according to the Mason County Auditor's Office.

Tahuya's fire commissioners had wanted to raise about $45,000 through its fire levy to fund a half-time paid fire administrator. It would've raised the fire levy from 60 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to 83 cents per $1,000.

But almost 60 percent of votes counted Tuesday opposed the measure. That would mean the current levy stays in place.

District officials were also hoping to raise an emergency medical services levy to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value in property taxes. The current levy is at 25 cents per $1,000.

District 8 uses the EMS money to fund a contract with neighboring Belfair- and Collins Lake-based Mason County Fire District 2, which can perform advanced life support that volunteers in District 8 cannot.

A measure to resurrect the EMS levy, called "Proposition 2," has 152 votes, or 55 percent of the vote, but it needs 60 percent to pass.

A temporary EMS contract, funded by District 8 reserves, expires in June. Now, Olsen doesn't know where the money will come from.